Afropunk Fest to bring beats back to Brooklyn

The ninth annual Afropunk Fest will return to Brooklyn’s Commodore Barry Park this year with new artists and events that will transform the multicultural festival into a food, music, and shopping frenzy.

From Aug. 24-25, more than 30 artists including Chuck D, ?uestlove, and Theophilus London will offer free, live entertainment. This year's Afropunk Fest is expected to attract hundreds of people from around the country.

Artists will perform with the backdrop of the "Art Wall," which is painted by visual artists over the course of the festival each year. A Brooklyn-based animator and illustrator, Ronald Wimberly, will collaborate with another artist Saul Williams, who headlined Afropunk Fest in 2008, to create a unique background for the stage.

Attendees will also have access to a skate park and the annual bike show by Brooklyn Rhapsody, which will “spotlight the presence of people of color in the [bike and skating] scene,” the Afropunk fest website reads.

Afropunk Fest will also be partnering with Flavorpill to host “Rise + Shine,” a free class that combines yoga, dance, and meditation with upbeat music from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. on both days of the festival. Complimentary water will be provided.

First introduced last year, Afropunk Fest will continue their “food truck roundup” which will feature 26 of the most popular mobile foods including “Phil’s Steaks,” and “Wing N’ It.” There will also be a nearby thrift market that will sell original pieces of work from home décor to clothing from more than 80 local artists.

Organizers for the festival made sure that this year the fun will not end when the park closes with the introduction of “Afropunk After Dark,” which will “transform the neighborhood of Fort Greene into a captivating playground of music, art, comedy, entertainment and culture,” according to the Afropunk Fest website.

Afropunk Fest is inspired by a documentary, “Afropunk,” released in 2003 that explores the emergence of Black artists in the punk rock music scene. For the past 9 years, Afropunk Fest has featured up-and-coming artists like Janelle Monáe, who performed at the festival in 2008 before she signed a record deal with Atlantic Records and landed the role as a Cover Girl spokeswoman.

Admission to Afropunk Fest is free with RSVP, but entrance with the festival’s “fast pass” guarantees admission without having to wait in lines. The “fast pass” is a suggested donation of $25.

To RSVP, visit http://beta.flavorpill.com/events/afropunk-fest-2013.

For more information about Afropunk Fest visit http://afropunkfest.com.